


Criminal

by Little_Red



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fight Scenes, Implied/Referenced Character Death, More tags to be added, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:21:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Red/pseuds/Little_Red
Summary: Certain things are known but not talked about in S.H.I.E.L.D. and RJ Barton was one of those things. Gone but not entirely forgotten, and never ever to be mentioned, unless you wanted a target on your back.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	Criminal

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after season three of agents of shield, after the inhumans are emerging. And after the fall of shield of course. Hydra is still a real threat. I may pretend certain events didn’t happen…. like Endgame. This fic is still a work in progress, so please bear with me.

_*****_

**_Clint’s POV_ **

“What are you watching?” I asked as we entered the main lounge of the tower with Nat. Bruce, Tony, Thor and Steve were sprawled out on a couch watching what looked to be a movie trailer. “Where’s the rest of the team?”

“Oh Tony is playing a movie trailer that the front desk receptionist recommended.” Steve told me, “I guess it’s a Christmas movie?”

“And Bucky said he would be up here soon, he wanted to train with the rest of the team a bit more.” He added.

“Oh please tell me it’s Home Alone.” I said in response to his first comment as I plopped down on the couch next to Thor.

“What’s Home Alone?” Thor asked me, as he offered me some of his popcorn.

“It’s only the greatest Christmas movie ever made.” I declared as I snagged a handful of popcorn. “It’s cinematic gold.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Nat argued, rolling her eyes.

“I would… though this looks funny.” I commented as I watched the trailer play out, “What’s it called?”

“The Family Stone.” Bruce told me, “It does look funny…. But do siblings really hit each other like that? I mean the twins don’t act like that.”

Bruce gestured towards the screen where the onscreen siblings were currently smacking each other aside the head.

“Umm… I was an only child.” Steve said, looking at Bruce. “But Bucky had siblings and he never treated them like that….”

“Same here.” Bruce replied, “As is Tony. And as for the twins, I think that they are different from other siblings, being twins and all.”

“Only child.” Nat added in before catching my eye quickly and looking at Thor, “Well you’re the only one present here who has a sibling, so can you weigh in on that?”

“Well…” Thor started, “We did have out fights, as I was telling Bruce when we were escaping from Sakaar that there was one time when we were children, Loki transformed himself into a snake, and he knows that I love snakes. So, I went to pick up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and he was like, “Yeah, it’s me!” And he stabbed me. We were eight at the time.”

Thor’s speech was met with silence and he looked around at the rest of us before shrugging sheepishly.

“Like you were entirely innocent as a child, Brother.” Loki remarked as he entered the room, “I wasn’t the one who came up with the Get Help scheme that involves you picking me up and throwing me at your enemies.”

“I’d like to see that in action.” Tony quipped, smirking at the thought.

“Me too.” I chuckled. “That would be a sight.”

Loki gave us a dismissive glance before continuing to address his brother, “And what we did to each other is minor compared to what our sister tried to do to us.”

“Oh yes.” Thor said flatly, “Her….. I …. Well we only met our sister once, and she tried to kill us…” ****

I snorted, “That’s pretty normal for sisters. Hell my sister tried killing me a few times… granted I had it coming.” I chuckled to myself as I remembered the good old days. “We were always trying to one up each other.”

“You have a sister?” Tony exclaimed, “How come you never said so?”

“I don’t have a sister.” I said tersely as I got up to get a drink, giving Nat a look, “I had a sister.”

Steve went to say something and Nat cut him off.

“She died.” Nat said softly, “She followed in her big brother’s footsteps and joined Shield….. she was an up and coming field agent, who was killed in the line of duty…. But she died a hero… she saved thousands of lives.”

“And I never talk of her.” I finished as I came back to the couch, carrying a bottle of beer for myself and one for Nat. “I want to remember her happy and alive, back home with our parents. Not as an empty casket because we never found her body.”

“I’m sorry Clint.” Steve said quietly, “Do you not want to watch this movie then?”

“Let’s watch Home Alone instead.” I suggested, “It’s better.”

As we watched the movie, it almost felt as if she was there, watching the movie with me like we used to when we were kids.

“ _I miss you little sister_.” I thought to myself. “ _Even though you tended to drive me crazy_.”

*****

**_Coulson’s POV_ **

“Hey DC.” Skye Daisy called out as she knocked on my office door, “I found some interesting chatter online… something about Hydra recruiting and experimenting on inmates.” She rambled on as I started to get an uneasy feeling.

“Anyways” Daisy continued on after her explanation, “Their latest target was a remote and I mean _remote_ prison in the Yukon Territory….. a prison by all accounts is not supposed to be there.”

“Get the team ready. All hands-on deck.” I ordered Daisy, leaving no room for argument “Wheels up in 15.”

Daisy gave me a surprised look but was quick to obey my orders, “Sure thing D C.”

“What was all that about?” May asked, seemingly materializing from nowhere and I wished again that she would wear bells when not in the field. “You seem rattled.”

“Hydra recruiting from a top-secret prison is a reason to be rattled.” I replied, not wanting to let on too much just yet. “Especially if something from Fury’s toolbox is hidden in there.”

May’s face hardened, “What would Fury hide in there?” She questioned, crossing her arms and looking at me.

“I don’t know.” I answered, “But we are going to find out.”

“I’ll get the plane ready.” She replied as she swiftly left my office.

*****

 **_Coulson’s POV_ ** ****

I held back with the rest of the team as May, Bobbi, Hunter, YoYo and Daisy took out the Hydra agents who had infiltrated the hidden prison. Once given the all clear, we came in to see the carnage left behind by the Hydra agents.

“Phil.” May called through the comms, “There is someone here asking for you.”

“Jemma, you had better come too.” She added.

Following May, I was enraged by what I saw.

“Dimitri!” I gasped, barely recognizing the severely injured man, “What happened.”

“You know him?” May asked, looking at me.

“Yes.” I replied, “He’s one of ours. He was in charge here.”

“Out f my way!” Jemma ordered as she knelt to take stock of his injuries.

“Hydra came.” Dimitri rasped in obvious pain, “They released something in the vents. There was lots of screaming and I saw prisoners and even some of my guards turn into stone husks. Some broke free and others… others were gone.” ****

“Terrigenesis.” May said quietly, “Who knows what powers were just awakened.”

“And why is Hydra playing around with Terrigen crystals?” she wondered out loud before she called out some orders. “Daisy, Elena. Get up here.”

“Can’t.” Daisy’s voice came through the comms, “We are a little busy here. Seems that some new inhumans came into their powers.”

“They apparently released some of the crystals into the vents.” May told her, “So inmates and guards alike were affected.”

“Why were you not affected?” I asked Dimitri, as Jemma quietly worked on him.

“I was.” Dimitri gasped, weakly pointing at the remnants of a stone husk “But when I broke out of the husk, someone shot me.”

“Sir.” Jemma interrupted, “I don’t know what his powers are but we are going to lose him if we don’t get him out of here right now.”

“Right.” I nodded at Jemma, getting ready to step back out of the way when Dimitri’s hand shot out and grabbed mine.

“Wait.” He pleaded, “My men. They were all agents. They were good men. Save the ones you can.”

“Here.” He went on, pressing a key into my hand. “It only unlocks one door and it’s the only key for that door. You must protect what is beyond the door at all costs.”

I took the key from him, knowing that this was the key that led to whatever Fury had hidden in the desolate prison.

“You must keep er safe.” Dimitri muttered, his words becoming harder and harder to understand.

“Sir!” Jemma snapped, “I have to take him now!”

“Bobbi, Fitz, Mack. Help her.” I ordered, standing up and looking at May. “We need to find out which door this key unlocks.”

Jemma rushed Dimitri back to the bus, while Daisy, YoYo and Joey worked on keeping the new inhumans under control. May and I got the transport pods in position to put the new inhumans in so they could not hurt anyone with their newfound powers.

Once all were contained, Daisy and May worked on figuring out which was friend or foe. I left with Mack, YoYo and Hunter to try and figure out which door the key Dimitri had given me unlocked. Jemma had radioed in to let me know that Dimtri was in critical condition but was stable. She thought that he would pull through.

After a fruitless sweep of the building, and finding no door that the key unlocked, Daisy finally radioed in with an update.

“Hey DC.” She said though the comms. “Eight people were turned. Five of the guards and three inmates. The rest…..Well the rest didn’t make it.”

“I know.” I responded as we passed more stone husks, those who never broke free.

“And I think I know which door the key that your friend gave you unlocked.” She added.

“How?” I asked, “How did you figure it out?”

“It’s the only door that required a key.” Daisy replied, “Whatever Fury hid in here, he made sure it was protected. This place has surprisingly high-tech security.”

“I’ve noticed.” I responded, it was clearly a secret shield base… well prison.

“Is it one of our bases?” Daisy asked.

“Yes.” I replied, “Built to save the world from the worst of the worst.”

“But why here?” Daisy asked, “In this frozen country?”

“Because it was a frozen wasteland.” I explained, “Miles away from the nearest village, controlled by trusted shield agents. In the last place anyone would think to look. Those who know of its existence don’t even know that it’s a shield base. They think that it’s just a high security prison built to hide the worst of humanity away from the rest of humanity.”

“What exactly was he hiding here?” Daisy asked, a note of wonder in her voice. Her hacker instincts were piqued. “And someone who knew of it must have been Hydra, but why did they choose this prison to release Terrigen crystals in?”

“I don’t know.” I admitted, “But I intend to find out.”

“Turn left.” Daisy said, “You are almost there.”

Daisy gave me directions through the prison, until we reached a door at the end of a long eerily silent hallway, the inhabitants of the rooms forever silent, stone husks. “It’s in there.” She directed.

“In the supply closet?” Hunter asked doubtfully.

“It may say supply closet, but whatever is behind that door is NOT a supply closet.” Daisy replied.

I looked at the door handle doubtfully, it did not even look locked. I glanced at Hunter and Mack, who both raised their guns as I reached for the door.

I tried the door and it opened easily for me, reveling a… supply closet.

I lowered my gun and glanced at Mack and Hunter, who both looked equally confused.

“Hey Tremors.” Mack said into the comms, “It’s a supply closet.”

“It can’t be.” Daisy replied, “The last thing Dimitri told Jemma to look in the supply closet. Then he lost consciousness.”

“I’ll check it out.” YoYo volunteered. She was back before I could even reply.

“It’s a standard supply closet.” She reported, “But on the far wall, barely visible behind some mops, there’s a keyhole.”

“Show me.” I ordered.

YoYo led me towards the wall and pointed out the keyhole, which was hard to see as the mops were permanently stuck to the wall, making it a very efficient way of hiding the keyhole. Mack and Hunter raised their guns again and nodded at me before I unlocked the heavy steel door that was disguised as a wall. The door swung silently open and I cautiously went through to see what lay beyond it. 

Behind the door, stairs led down into a dimly lit room. I slowly made my way down the stairs, and into a large, empty room. Across from the stairs was another metal door, heavily barred, at the bottom of the door was a small access hatch, too small for a person to fit through, but large enough to slide a box or tray through. 

Mack and I started pulling the bolts back, unlocking the door. As we slowly opened the door, there was a small room, about the size of a closet, with concrete walls and another heavily barred door across from the one that we had just unlocked. It took some muttered curses and a few mild arguments before we figured out that the second door only unlocked if the first door was shut and locked. Which we only figured out after YoYo left the room and shut the door behind her, causing the second door to click as it unlocked. YoYo had quickly unlocked the first door and as soon as it opened, the second door locked. Once we realized what was going on, Hunter stayed out with YoYo, and I went on ahead with Mack.

As soon as the door behind us locked, the door in front of us unlocked. I looked at nodded at Mack, who carefully pulled the door open and we finally saw what lay beyond the door.

It was another large room, with a treadmill against one wall, a queen-sized bed in the far corner, with an older tv and DVD player across from it and several bookshelves separating the sleeping area from the rest of the room, stacks of books overflowing from the shelves. An open door on the other side of the room revealed a large private bathroom. And in the centre of the room was a broken stone husk and an unconscious woman.

An unconscious woman who I knew but could not believe that I was seeing.

“Oh my god.” I breathed as I lowered my gun and stepped towards the still form.

“What is it?” Daisy demanded through the comms.

“It’s RJ Barton.” I replied, hearing May’s shocked gasp at my revelation.

“That’s impossible.” Mack said, lowering his gun as he looked down at the woman. “She’s dead. She was killed in the line of duty.”

“Who is RJ Barton?” Daisy demanded.

“She was a shield agent.” I said simply, as I knelt next to RJ’s prone body, checking for a pulse. “Jemma, we need you! Get down here now, and bring Fitz. We need someone to override that rather impressive locking system. Anyone else who can be spared had better come as well.”

“I’ll bring them.” Bobbi announced through the comms. “For this I have to see to believe. RJ Barton is a legend…..A legend that we don’t speak of.”

“Even I knew that.” Jemma spoke up, her hushed voice echoing through the comms, “It was one of the first things that we learned at the academy. She is not too be mentioned. Ever.”

“Why?” Daisy snapped, clearly exasperated. “How have I never heard of this?”

“Because whoever talked about her was either killed or ruthlessly interrogated.” May replied.

“By who?” Daisy demanded.

“Her brother.” Hunter answered, “Agent Clint Barton.”

“Why?” Daisy asked, as Jemma, Bobbi and Fitz rushed into the room, well I heard YoYo explaining to them on how to get into the room that we were in.

“Because he wanted to find the person who killed his sister.” I replied, as the door opened to reveal Jemma and Bobbi. “Because know one knows who killed her or why. Clint still hunts anyone down who talks about her, looking for any information on why his sister was killed.”

“You don’t know why she was killed?” Daisy asked softly as she entered behind Bobbi, looking surprised, before adding “Or why she was apparently killed?”

“No one was ever able to figure it out.” I replied, “RJ stopped her target from setting a bomb, killing him in the process. She was on her way to the airport, coming home, when the car she was in exploded. No one ever took responsibility for it, and all leads led to dead ends. It was a high-profile case for Shield and it’s still open to this day.”

“Well you can close it now.” Jemma said, “Because RJ Barton is alive and well. It appears she went through Terrigenesis. But other than that, she appears to be quite healthy, for a dead woman. But I would feel better if we took her up to a containment unit, for her safety and ours.”

“And I want to get her out of here and back to her family.” I said before stopping suddenly as something occurred to me. “Meaning….”

“Meaning that you have to call Barton. And the rest of the Avengers.” May finished as she came into the room, kneeling down to check on RJ, as she gently pushed the hair out of her long lost friends face.

“Well this will be fun.” I thought as I left after giving orders for YoYo and Daisy to pack up the room that RJ had been kept in, hoping that there would be clues somewhere in there. “Here we go.”

*****

_Clint’s POV_

It was late afternoon and the team was scattered throughout the tower, doing whatever various activities that they did while not on a mission or saving the world from alien invasions or robot takeovers when Friday’s voice sounded out.

“Mr Barton, can you please report to the main lounge?”

“Sure Friday.” I replied, as I quickly left the impressive archery range that Stark had built me, “What’s up?”

“There is an urgent message for the team. Everyone is meeting in the main lounge to hear it.”

“Must be Fury pulling some ‘beyond the grave’ stunt while he’s lounging on a beach somewhere.” I muttered to myself as I made my way to the elevator.

“I always pictured him fishing on a lake somewhere.” Tony said as he came up behind me, with Steve close behind, “What about you Cap?”

Steve shrugged, as his brow furrowed, as he pushed the button for the elevator, “Maybe he’s settled in a small town, far away from anything Shield related?”

“Or maybe he’s lurking around the city, watching our every move?” Nat suggested as she joined us by the elevator.

“Like you do” Tony jested as the elevator doors opened up, revealing Bruce and Thor, “I mean you always seem to know what we are up too, Miss Spy, and Fury was your leader..”

“Who is spying on us?” Bruce asked, having caught the tail end of our conversation.

“We are just trying to figure out who sent us an urgent message and speculating what Fury is doing now that he’s ‘retired’.” I explained, using air quotes.

“That is something that I have wondered about.” Thor mused, as the doors opened at the main lounge, “I would think he’s drinking somewhere and reliving his triumphs in battle.”

“Now that one is a possibility.” Tony smirked, before glancing around the room and ensuring that everyone was there.

And everyone was, from the rest of our team, including all our newest members….. and Loki, who was off in a corner, reading one of his many books. The man… god, certainly had a thirst for knowledge.

Once Stark had confirmed that everyone was present, he nodded and asked Friday to play the message.

“I wanted to send a message saying assemble at this location, but I know you would be too wary of that, so here goes.” A voice sounded out and I froze. I knew that voice.

There was a rustling sound and then Coulson’s face appeared onscreen, causing everyone to gasp in unison, save the newest members.

“Hello Avengers. Coulson here. Obviously.” He said, “I have important matters to discuss, please meet me at the location that will be available at the end of this transmission. Come quickly, it is a delicate but pressing matter.”

He paused before continuing. “I will answer any questions upon your arrival. Coulson out.”

The screen went blank and everyone was silent for a moment.

“Friday, can you tell when that was recorded, or when it was sent?” Tony asked in a strangled voice.

“It was a live message sir.” Friday replied, “Agent Coulson called from an untraceable line.”

“We need to go meet him and see what kind of trick or sorcery this in.” Steve said firmly, and almost every head in the room swivelled to look at Loki, who was staring in shock at the view screen that Coulson’s face had just been on.

“Don’t look at me.” Loki said softly, “I am just as surprised as you are, and I can sincerely say that I would never play such a cruel joke.”

“Prove it.” Stark snarled, glaring at Loki.

“You’re coming with us.” Steve ordered, “Everyone suit up, we leave in 5 minutes.”

As I left to get my things, I found myself half hoping it was a cruel joke of Loki’s because there was no way that Fury would deny us the comfort of knowing that Coulson was alive, and half of me hoping that it was true, the Phil really was alive and kicking.

The team was tense as everyone got onto the jet and I flew us to the coordinates that “Phil” had left us, noting with a frown that it as in mid air, and mentally readied myself to be ready for a surprise attack from above.

The flight was short and within the hour, we were at the designated coordinates, hovering in mid air as we waited for an attack or a sign from whoever sent the message.

My jaw dropped as a massive plane materialized in front of us, obviously a Shield issue plane, as that was Shield technology.

“Prepare to dock.” A soft voice announced over the comms as the plane in front of us held steady.

Seeing that our jet could fit neatly on top of the massive plane; I gently moved the jet forward to the docking pad and waited as the plane secured it’s new cargo.

“All set.” Came the voice again, “Permission to enter.”

I turned away from the controls and looked at Nat.

“I know that voice.” I said, as the access hatch to the plane below opened, “That’s the Calvary.”

“Who is the Calvary?” Steve and Thor questioned as the rest of the team looked confused as they stood up and made their way out of the jet and down a set of spiral stairs.

“The Calvary-“ I started before I was cut off.

“Don’t call me that.” A voice said firmly and I looked down quickly to see Melinda May glaring up at me.

“Melinda May.” I greeted, “Nice to see you back in the field…. Now why are you pretending to be Coulson…..” I trailed off as I got down the stairs and saw who had been standing just out of sight.

“Coulson.” Steve said quietly as he took in our once fallen friend, who was flanked by an assortment of people including the Mockingjay? And her dastardly husband. And was that Mack?

“Captain.” Coulson greeted Steve, before nodding at the rest of us.

“It’s nice to see you….. alive.” Stark growled, glaring at Coulson.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, but former Director Fury never gave me clearance too.” Coulson made excuse.

“Oh and I’m sure that the new director is alright with you letting the cat out of the bag now.” Stark snapped. “Oh that’s right, Shield doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Actually, we do.” The young woman who was standing near May spoke up. She was stunning, slight, with dark hair and expressive dark brown eyes. “You’re talking to us right now.”

“And since I’m the new director of Shield, I gave myself clearance to tell you, considering the matter at hand.” Coulson explained simply.

“Which is?” Steve asked as he crossed his arms.

“Well…. Clint.” Coulson addressed me, “It’s about you.”

“Me? I replied, “What about me?”

“Actually, it’s about your sister.” Coulson said softly and I heard Nat hiss a rather nasty expletive in Russian as she glared at Coulson.

“What about her?” I growled, wanting nothing more than to shoot something. The same way I felt every time someone brought RJ up.

“We found her.” Coulson said slowly, quietly.

“What?” Nat gasped, as I felt her hand on my arm, “You found her body?”

“No.” Coulson replied and all the hope and relief I felt at finally being able to bury my sister flee my body, leaving me numb.

“I’m saying that we found her….. alive.”

*****


End file.
